L or N? Keep These Two Apart

In many varieties of Vietnamese, L and N can shift toward each other in casual speech, so the difference sometimes doesn't carry much weight. In English, though, L and N are fully separate sounds that can completely change a word's meaning — think 'light' versus 'night,' or 'low' versus 'no.' The two sounds are made in similar places in your mouth, which is exactly why they're easy to mix up, but the key difference is simple: for N, air flows out through your nose the whole time; for L, air flows around the sides of your tongue while the tip touches just behind your teeth. Try this: say 'night' and 'light' back to back, pinching your nose gently on 'night' — you should feel a slight vibration or blockage change. Do the same with 'no' and 'low.' Two minutes of this contrast will train your mouth and ear together. You're building real precision here.